commentary-humor

Wow Like A Fox: How The Media Can Influence

Thu, 15 Apr 2010 04:03:32 +0100

"David Frum, a prominent conservative pundit and former speechwriter for George W. Bush, led the charge last month when he lambasted Republicans’ handling of health-care reform . In a piece about the health-care vote titled “Waterloo,”Frum wrote, "We followed the most radical voices in the party and the movement, and they led us to abject and irreversible defeat. There were leaders who knew better, who would have liked to deal. But they were trapped. Conservative talkers on Fox and talk radio had whipped the Republican voting base into such a frenzy that deal-making was rendered impossible…By mobilizing them with hysterical accusations and pseudo-information, overheated talk has made it impossible for representatives to represent and elected leaders to lead." On Nightline, Frum noted, "Republicans originally thought that Fox worked for us, and now we're discovering we work for Fox…The thing that sustains a strong Fox network is the thing that undermines a strong Republican Party."

I don't really know what to say. No, just kidding. I kinda knew that something was going to be said by Repubs because the American people are more intelligent than the media wants to give them credit for. Sooner or later, people start to sit back and think through the things going on around them. They begin to use their own minds and look past the hype and hysteria that might be trying to affect certain people. What's that old saying? "You can fool some of the people some of the time but you can't fool all of the people all of the time". And with elections bearing down on the mid-term election period, savy politicians are going to want to make sure they stand out as standing on their own merit and having their own mind. The last thing they are going to want is to look like pawns of some news media outlets.

Of course, the news media is going to continue to use every avenue it can avail itself to. The desire to be out front leading the news media pack and of building a following of watchers and listeners definitely serves to at least help with revenues. Keeping people believing that all of the news they report is the truth and that they and only they have the inside track to "the real deal" can also allow media outlets to have their own agendas followed with very little notice from regular folks. They also know that a radical group exists on both sides of the political party spectrum and being able to reach that element in either group may be the best way to stay worth a damn.

Then again, being able to reach people on the radical fringe of things also makes reporting stories and news not only profitable but popular. Having the ability to have people who are literally hinged on every word and ready to react to announcements, stories and reports gives media outlets the power to demand the advertising rates from advertisers who want to reach the demographic that has become involved with the stories and news reported. Being tied that closely with constituents doesn't always serve politicians well when it comes to election time. So, I'm not surprised to see that some Repubs are coming out and speaking up against FOX. I don't think the folks at FOX are too excited about it either and come to think about it, FOX probably expected to have some backlash once the hot topic was cooled off.

So, Repubs, relax. Americans aren't dumb. If you were celebrating FOX's reporting of events and happenings and you had put your ass into bed with FOX, Americans won't forget. Be careful because Americans are more savy then some folks gice them credit for. Although there is that fringe element that I mentioned. They on the other hand tend to only believe what they want to believe as long as it serves their purpose. So for the Repubs coming out speaking up about FOX and other medias role, it ain't really gonna matter to the hardcore fringe element. They are gonna stick with the stories that allow them to achieve the agendas they really want to achieve. When you decide you're against something no matter what it is, well, ain't much anyone can do to prove otherwise to you now is there?

Just musing you know.
VH
PainCornerStore.com
SpeakHear.yolasite.com

On A Healthcare discussion

Fri, 02 Apr 2010 03:24:01 +0100

How insurance plans are offered will be affected. Quality of insurance plans will be affected. Costs will continue to be affected although it's not like insurance costs are all that great today. Insurance companies are already raising rates and talking about more rates and how drastic it's going to be. That's just fodder to prepare people to accept getting gouged when in many cases it's not warranted.

Healthcare savings plans, pay as you go plans, plans for those who aren't using insurance much at this point in their lifetime to build up credits for the backside of life, etc. Actuaries are going to have to be creative with a REAL balance of profits and taking care of people being an actual component of any offerings.

Think about the many folks who are paying insurance premiums faithfully pay period after pay period and aren't even using their insurance except for the yearly primary care checkup. They are paying full rate now just as if they were using insurance everyday. Shouldn't they have a way to get credit for being well and have a buydown/credit account for later in life if and when they do need it?

It's going to take that kind of creativity to get things turnaround and going in a direction that will still allow insurance companies to have profits but also allow people to be insured. Is it scary? Uncertain? Yes, yes it is but AMERICA has a long history of facing the scary, the uncertain, the unknown and pulling together with the input of the brave and intelligent to overcome those obstacles.

Americans can do it again, IF we WANT to.

VH
http://PainCornerStore.com
http://speakhear.yolasite.com

Well, Ain't That Just MisBehavin

Wed, 24 Mar 2010 13:48:01 +0100

I think it's a sad day in America if you listen to the news; even sadder if you listen to certain news stations. Seems even some media giants have issues with reporting the news and events, shall we say, fairly. Not to say that people can or should take everything that comes out of the media as the gospel truth. I would want to believe by now that folks know enough to do some investigating and research on the events and topics that are brought to light by the media. It's still up to each individual to validate information that is publicly broadcast; however, I think many of us know that doesn't happen.

Perhaps that's why so many people are foaming at the ears and behaving in manners somewhat reminiscient of the early days of the Civil Rights Movement. Name calling, racial slurs, public displays of disrespect in Congressional Halls and Meeting rooms, even people spitting at members of Congress as they make their way to meetings. Yeah, even spitting. Well, ain't that just misbehavin? The irony is that after Mr. Barack Obama was elected President of these UNITED STATES, papers were quick to publish articles claiming that "the dream had been fulfilled", Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s battle to lead the nation towards civil rights and social reconciliation "had been achieved". Reading the papers and listening to the news, a person might almost believe that goals of the civil rights movement had been achieved, racism had been eliminated and the country had healed all of the untreated wounds left from a history of slavery and oppression of the poor and down-trodden. Yep, that's right, the second coming of JESUS has happened and we must have missed it somewhere amidst all of the celebrating, comaraderie and unity going on.

Supposedly the country was going to enter a state of healing and harmony never seen before according to some. High hopes were there for the taking and everybody was going to be entitiled to take their share. High is an opportune word based on how things really are going; people seem to have lost their flippin' minds. The public displays of disrespect being shown President Obama are appalling at the least. What's really aggravating is the disrespect being shown by people who don't like President Obama and the only reason they can come up with that's valid is because he's him. WTF does that mean? Sounds like he isn't liked because he's a person who believes in America. He believes in the value of family. He wants every American to have a chance to achieve the "Promise of America". He's intelligent, articulate and cool in heated situations. He has a game plan and a commitment to that plan regardless of how the "powers that have been" feel about his plan. He is willing to challenge "Wall Street", Insurance Companies and Corporate Greed. They don't like President Obama because he's a president of the people for the people. Wait, does anybody else see a pattern here? Are people really choosing to disrespect and dislike the President of the United States of America because he has their interest at heart? Are they actually holding rallies using vile, racist terms, fear and trying to incite riots? Well, Aint That Just MisBehavin'?

Okay, in fairness, not everybody has to like the President of the United States. That's part of the freedom we enjoy in America. You don't have to LIKE anybody but you should be decent enough to at least RESPECT others. What's happened to people on a basic level when they can't respect somebody who is trying to do the right thing for everybody? What kind of people hate somebody they don't know? How intelligent, how smart is somebody who can't think of anything to really have issue with so they turn to racists comments? When you can't find any actual reason to dislike somebody or to give somebody a chance, the same chance you afford everybody else, what does that say about you? I think it takes a simple-minded fool to go be against the President just because he's black? Or am I the only one who thinks that? Maybe I am. I have to admit that it turns my stomach to see, hear, read about and research the events, arguments and rallies being held under the disguise of town hall meetings and forums simply to bash the President. It's one thing to poke fun at things the President does, much like everybody was doing with the previous President but the degree of dislike, disrespect and disdain being shown President Obama is of historic proportions.

It seems like everything surrounding President Obama is of "historic proportions". I mean, yeah, he's the first black President of the United States. Many people never thought that would happen for many lifetimes to come. His election opens the doors for "historic moments" because "HE'S THE FIRST"! What's disturbing is how the world is starting to view America. America had a chance to begin putting the pieces back together after the election but some people chose to be even more divisive. President Obama was to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize but believe it or not some Americans had an issue with that AND found a way to have the media fan the flames of discontent. Not wanting to rush into things, it's got to be acknowledged that the media is playing an important and impactful role in how much hate is being directed towards President Obama. Imagine the impact an entire news organization/media organization could have on whipping people into a frenzy by feeding them skewed information. Folks that run these media conglomerates are well aware of their effect on the American people. They get report after report showing graphs and demographics and how the stories and information that was presented has been received by people. Presidents and CEO's of news media organizations know the power they have over people's lives. We expect them to act in a manner that is above prejudice, treating everybody the same, with one pen for all; however, some don't. Well, Aint That Just MisBehavin?

So, will people ever stop fighting President Obama on almost every step of his Presidency and the plans for helping America regain it's place as a respected world leader, a beacon of hope, righteousness, integrity, strength and stability? The interest of some, hyped up by the media hypemakers, is being portrayed as the interest of the majority. What people are starting to forget is that the "majority" showed there desires by turning out at the polls and electing Mr. Obama as the President of the United States. The real majority is sitting back probably appalled at the behavior of a segment of America towards the President. Appalled that many of the issues raised are smoke screens thinly veiling what many think are racist overtones and actions. Appalled that a President who is trying to balance the tables so that people who feel disenfranchised and forgotten can once again feel like part of America, part of the process of being an American. So what's going to happen when people finally tire of all of the attacks on the character of President Obama, the insinuated threats and hopes for harm and the constant attempts to derail what could indeed be great for America? What then, when people put their feet down, dig in and prepare to push back against the wave of malcontent and start to take actions of their own? History is full of stories about folks who finally had enough and railed against those who were trying to oppress, mislead and misuse them. Their actions are recorded for all to see. Actions that can cause disruptions in the forward progress of our country but actions that seem like they must be taken, that qualify as, "Well, Just MisBehavin"

(note: I'm fully aware of my grammar and slang in my ramblings. Get over it. This is just me musing over the state of affairs as I see them. If you got a problem with that, GET A LIFE.)

VH
3/2010
"Musings Of My Mind"
"Social Commentary Humor"

What's Wrong With The Education I Got?

Tue, 23 Mar 2010 21:54:07 +0100

March 23, 2010 by chronicpainhero

I’m confused. So many changes have been made to school curriculum in an effort to accomplish what really? I seem to remember when schools focused on reading, writing, arithmetic and they included classes like gym, health, art and music. Schools opened and closed about the same time that they do today and we managed to somehow squeeze in all the classes and activities needed to turn out some fairly well educated folks. I mean, look at what has been accomplished and some of the people who were educated in that “outdated” school curriculum.

If the curriculum was so “ineffective” then how did we get a Barack Obama? A Bill Gates and Steve Jobs? You know them, right? Microsoft and Apple ring a bell? What about the scientist who developed the space program during the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s? These folks are responsible for the technology and gadgets that we are “educating” our children to keep up with in today’s school environment. So why such a drastic shift in school curriculum? What is this emphasis on teaching to “pass a test” that is supposed to validate whether or not our children are getting an education? What is the difference today from when we went through school?

When you look at the people who were educated in that “old school curriculum” you should begin to wonder how they ever had the ability to do what they have done. If the curriculum needed such an overhaul, what happened with us? What made us intelligent, driven, motivated to achieve what we have? If the curriculum was so suspect that folks feel compelled to overhaul it, then maybe it was the way we were taught or better yet, WHO taught us. Dare I say, it was the teachers that made the difference.

Teachers who were in the profession to teach, not so much to earn a paycheck. It couldn’t have been the paycheck because teachers have notoriously been underpaid for DECADES, yet there they were each and everyday standing in front of the classroom pouring out all of their knowledge so that we could soak it up. They worked hard to impart the education and experience they had gained on us. They had time to answer questions and review tests. I don’t remember them ever “leaving any child behind” when I was in school. They would tutor at recess and even stay after school to help IF you asked.

I believe that it was the teachers that made all of the difference. Oh, I’m not saying there aren’t good teachers today. On the contrary, there are some excellent teachers out there but there’s also a group of teachers that chose teaching as a JOB not a profession. They are in it for the paycheck and it was the path of least resistance. Teachers in our day communicated with parents. They didn’t take any gruff in the classroom. They gave and demanded respect. Dropout rates weren’t near as high as they are today and students had many teachers they looked up to with respect and even wanted to become a teacher like them. So, is it the curriculum or the way the curriculum has been imparted onto the students?

I guess this is all my opinion and since I have a right to an opinion, I felt like writing it down. I just can’t help but wonder about the old Mi-Ne proverb: if the leaves on the tree are sickly, look at the roots.

V.Holland

http://www.realisticallycorrect.wetpaint.com

http://PainCornerStore.com

Tea Party, Beer Party, Pizza Party; A Party For Everybody

Tue, 23 Mar 2010 21:54:27 +0100

    The majority of the time I hear the word party I associate it with something pleasant. I try to forget about the political assignments, instead looking forward to hearing about people getting together for fun and enjoyment. Not to be naive about it all, I fully understand that most words in the English language have multiple meanings and uses. It's easier to just make the same word mean different things rather than think of a new word. That's the beauty of this language that we speak here in America. A combination of slang, shortcuts, standard and substandard English, ours is a language that begs for it's own definition and isn't easily contained in one or two concise dictionaries. I always joke that what we speak in America isn't English but rather our own language, American. We speak AMERICAN. Why not?

    Really, why not say we speak American? If we can ruin all of the ideals of the word party through various assignments to groups that are anything but "party-like" then why not say we speak American? I'm not going to be lobbying to change what we call the language spoken by Americans. On the contrary, whatever we end up calling it is really irrelevant as long as we can use it to communicate our messages but I digress. I really want to talk about parties.

    Most people who have attended and graduated from secondary schools in America are aware that throughout the history of this great land there have been many parties, some more famous than others. Our government has chosen to divide itself into two major parties, Republicans and Democrats, and a few more minor parties. Within those parties there are other parties. We have Liberals, Conservatives, Left-Wing, Right-Wing, Nationalists, Independents, Peoples and the revival of an old name with a new agenda, the Tea Party. I think it's ironic that an event thought to be significant in the history of America, the Boston Tea Party, would be the party that this new fangled Tea Party is supposed to be fashioned after. Oh, the similiarities are there to be had. It's a party that's expressing it's discontent with the current state of affairs and wanting to call attention to what the party believes are slights and wrong directions. The members of the party appear to be Americans or at least people who have the interest of this land we live on at heart. I'm sure there are other similiarities but I'm hardpressed to find them and quite frankly, based on some of the antics coming from this generations Tea Party, don't really give a damn to find any more. But that's my perogative.

    The Boston Tea Party was protesting the overrule of Britain and the way that Britain was systematically milking the hard earned monies from the people through high prices and even higher rates of taxation. This created hardship for folks living in America. Hardships that meant being able to enjoy living in the new land an all but false reality.  My intention is not to linger in details of the Boston Tea Party because if you want a refresher on that time in history, go to the library or look it up online.  We know from accounts that the folks got angry, went to the harbor, took the tea and other products from the docks and boats and dumped them in the harbor. If there were no goods to be sold there would be no taxes to be collected and the fatcats back in Britain wouldn't get anymore of the hard earned monies from folks in America. Some might say that was a noble cause and that it showed Britain and the Royals that America wasn't going to standby and be taken advantage of. Nope, America was aching to have a say in how things were going to be run from then on.

    History notes all of the events that occurred after that. The Colonies eventually ended up going to WAR with Britain to break away from the tyranny and taxation. America became fully independent and set about to create it's own constitution wrought full of promises for every man, woman and child. America would be different than Britain; America would treat it's citizens right, give them a say in governance and make sure that everybody had the right to "Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness". Yeah, America was on her way to where we are today. A land in the midst of turmoil once again.

    Yeah, here we are again. What's creating the turmoil of this generation? Why is there a need for another "Tea Party" in a land where the very constitution that was created to eliminate the reasons a Boston Tea Party occurred in the first place? You can put money on the fact that it's not just about healthcare reform. It's about fear, about not being able to handle living under the directives of the constitution that was designed to manage this country years ago by the founding fathers. The sway of power and economic might coupled with people all clamoring to have their piece of the pie so eloquently written about in that greatest of documents, the constitution bouyed by the Declaration of Independence written earlier.  Many people have heard the phrases taken from the context of those documents. "We the people", "Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness", "The right to keep and bear arms", "All men are created equal", "Freedom of speech", "UnAlienable rights", etc, etc, etc. Mighty lofty terms born of the emotions surrounding becoming it's own land, much like when a child moves from their parents home into a home of their own, "things are going to be different because I'm gonna do them MY way". Okay, good luck with that; let's see what reality has to say about that.

    It's too hard to live up to those expectations when they become reality. As long as everything is going the way we want it to, everything is fine. The minute a change is required, a new direction we didn't see coming is to be taken, an idea we didn't think of starts to develop, it becomes uncomfortable. Things get scary. We don't know what the pecking order will be, what our place at the table will hold and how the stakes will be divided. Worry sets in. Will our piece of the pie be as big as it once was? Will we get our share? Will we be relegated to the miserly pickings we once handed out to others? Will our existence have been for not? Our labor easily forgotten? What will become of us if the bearings of the Declaration of Independence and of the Constitution are followed? We've been bought out be another company and we don't know who they are gonna keep and who they are gonna let go. Am I getting a "pink slip" today?

    So the Tea Party is formed to talk about the current events. Not a bad idea. Why not come together and discuss, intelligently, rationally and fairly the events that are occurring and about to occur in America?  That makes sense.  This is a land full of intelligent people. We have history to look back on to guide us as we move forward. If we sense a loss of direction we have only to look to our founding documents....wait, no, let's not do that. No, those documents are the cause of all of this anyway. If it wasn't for those documents that our country is founded on, the minority wouldn't have a place at the table. The weak would still be downtrodden and the poor left out in the cold. There wouldn't be a change in powerplayers and the status quo would still be going on as before. Those damn founding documents. They are the cause of all of this commotion. Look what they have wrought. A House and Senate where rules and respect have gone by the way; decorum is no longer a standard that can be confidently expected. Name calling, rudeness, deliberately trying to stall and derail progress simply because it can be done. Leaders, or so called leaders, elected to positions to serve as representations of Americans everywhere, seem only intent on serving a few select with a few select ideas. Not every American is being represented fairly.

    The Tea Party represents a group who feel they have been slighted and are being "taxed" unwantingly.  The illusion that the Tea Party is all about fighting healthcare reform is supported by the media and has grown like weeds in the rough. The Tea Party is more interested in protecting the status quo; keeping things the way they were. Why look out for our fellow man? What do we need reforms for anyway? Why should government intervene and try to control what hasn't been controlled? This is a great land built on capitalism, entrust the future to those who have worked so hard to all but bankrupt us so far. Let the greedy keep dictating which direction we go. Let them run their companies...yep, run them right overseas and close down the factories and businesses we need right here in America. Allow them to profit from the misfortunes of the many and give extraordinarily to the few. Close our eyes to the suffering of children here in this great land. Turn our backs on those who somehow haven't found a way to achieve the American dream as it's expressed in the Declaration and the Constitution. Forget that we've had hundreds of years to do better and we haven't. Who wants to heal this nation anyway? "Them" people should stay over there to 'themselves" and "us" people will stay over here to "us-selves". (YES, I KNOW WHAT I JUST WROTE, FOCUS HERE, FOCUS ha ha ha)

    I understand. Really, I do. Nobody wants to give up their position at the top of the hill no matter how they came to be at the top of the hill. I get it. I'm sure most Americans get it too. Healthcare reform is just a symptom of the "flu bug" that has America ill. The Tea Party probably figures if they can get rid of the "symptom" nobody will really care to notice the sniffles and those who do care won't be allowed to be heard. Healthcare reform, maybe this particular revision is not the best it will be yet but it's a start down the right road to reforming the care of the health of America. That's what I think and I'm allowed to think freely, it says so in one of them there founding documents folks keep running from.

VH
3/2010
"An Original Musing"